The invention herein relates to a liquid transfer device having a utility for transferring a liquid of choice from one container to another in a sterile manner. In particular, the liquid transfer device can be used to reconstitute or formulate "piggybacks."
In the administration of intravenous solutions to recipients, there is a need in many instances to supplement the particular solution being administered. When such is the case, the supplemental solution can be administered simultaneously with the I.V. solution by placing a second container or vial having the supplemental solution (called a piggyback) in parallel with the I.V. solution. The piggyback is located such that the piggyback solution is in fluid flow communication with the administration tubing for the I.V. solution. For example, the tubing from the I.V. solution and piggybacksolution can be connected through a suitable Y or T-connector leaving the third tubing connected to such a connector leading to the recipient of the solutions.
The piggyback bottles are supplied to the pharmacy in generally a sterile condition with the drug to be administered in a dry powder or lyophilized state. Thus prior to use, the drugs in the piggyback bottles must be reconstituted by the addition of a proper diluent or solvent. Such a diluent or solvent can be withdrawn from an I.V. bottle. Considerable effort and time is expended by the pharmacist in reconstituting the piggybacks. One currently practiced technique for reconstituting such piggybacks is performed by introducing the solvent to the piggyback bottle using a syringe. A syringe is utilized in order to pierce the seal on the piggyback bottle, which seal is similar to the seals on I.V. bottles. One drawback with such a technique is that the piggyback bottles are generally not evacuated and therefore it is difficult to introduce any signficant volume of solvent to the bottle. In such a technique, a vent needle has also been inserted through the seal on the piggyback bottle in order to vent the atmosphere within the bottle so as to permit the introduction of the solvent. A disadvantage of such a technique is that the technique is costly as the vent needles and syringes are expensive and considerable time and effort is required to insert a syringe and vent needle in each of the piggyback bottles to be reconstituted. In many of the larger hospitals, a pharmacist may be called upon to fill or reconstitute hundreds of such piggybacks during the course of a day.
Another technique which is currently available to the pharmacist for reconstituting piggybacks is a rapid fill system utilizing a double lumen needle. One of the lumens of the needle is connected in fluid flow communication with the solvent while the other luman of the needle provides a vent to the atmosphere for the air within the piggyback bottle. While such a device solves some of the problems of the earlier described technique, it has a drawback in that the time required to introduce a solvent to a particular piggyback bottle is dependent upon the atmosphere within the piggyback bottle being forced out of the bottle through the venting lumen of the needle. Thus, considerable time is still expended when a significant number of piggyback bottles are to be reconstituted.
It would be desirable to have a device which can be operated with one hand that would permit the rapid introduction of a solvent to piggyback bottles and which avoid the opportunity for contamination of the contents of the piggyback bottle during such reconstitution procedure.